Naked mole rats are subterranean rodents that appear to be resistant to cancer.

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A research team headed by two University of Rochester biologists has discovered the chemical that makes a type of rodent cancer-free.

The findings were published Wednesday in the online version of Nature, a prominent British scientific journal.

UR biology professor Vera Gorbunova and assistant biology professor Andrei Seluanov headed the team of 10 researchers who discovered that naked mole rats are protected from cancer because their tissues are rich in high molecular weight hyaluronan (HMW-HA). ...